Kolkata, Feb 21,2023: The 1,911 non-teaching staff, whose services had recently been terminated following an order of the single-judge bench of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay of Calcutta High Court in connection with teachers’ scam in West Bengal, on Tuesday filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the single-judge bench order.

Earlier, these 1,911 non-teaching staff of Group-D category had approached the Calcutta High Court’s division bench of Justice Subrata Talukdar and Justice Supratim Bhattacharya against the single-judge bench order. This division bench is yet to deliver the order on this count. However, instead of waiting for the final order of the division bench, the 1,911 staff have now moved the Supreme Court.

On February 16, the division bench of Justice Talukdar and Justice Bhattacharya had put an interim stay on a particular portion of the single- judge bench order that directed these 1,911 non-teaching staff to return the salary they have received already. However, the division bench did not put any stay on the main order of the single-judge bench regarding termination of services.

The division bench was also silent on that portion of the order by the single-judge bench that barred the illegally appointed candidates from appearing for any future examination for any state government job.

According to sources in the knowhow of the entire development, probably an anticipation among these 1,911 non-teaching staff that the division bench’s final order will not be much different from that of the single-judge bench especially on the main part of termination from services have prompted them to approach the Apex Court.

The next hearing in the matter in the division bench of Calcutta High Court is scheduled on March 3.